Melissa and Tony Wescott of Tulsa, Okla., adopted their son in 2007. (ABC News screen shot)

(Newser)
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Tony and Melissa Wescott of Oklahoma adopted their son in 2007—and now they're fighting to give him back to the state. The 11-year-old has been in a psychiatric hospital for nearly a year after killing animals, trying to burn their house down, and regularly running away. He's been diagnosed with everything from post-traumatic stress disorder to fetal alcohol syndrome. Now he's been OKed to return home, but the Westcotts don't want him. They're so afraid, Melissa Wescott tells Good Morning America, that she plans to stay awake at nights while her husband sleeps.

But the state doesn't agree, reports ABC News. "A parent is a parent," said the director of Oklahoma's post-adoption program. "It doesn't matter where the child came from." She says prospective parents know the risks of adopting troubled children. For now, the Wescotts are fighting for a law that would allow children to be returned to the state under certain circumstances. A Oklahoma legislative panel is looking into the issue.

LISTEN I TOTAL AGREE WITH THIS FAMILY FOR WANTING TO GIVE HIM BACK THE STATE! YES IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY BUT ALSO THE STATES STILL EVEN IN ADOPTION FOR THESE CHILDREN! I AM GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT IF I WAS TO GIVE HIM A SPANKING OR KNOCK HE'S HEAD OFF FOR DOING SOME OF THE THINGS HES DONE THEY WOULD BE AT MY DOOR BUT HARD TO GET HELP FROM THEM AFTER YOU ADOPT THEM YOU GET THE RUN AROUND RESPONSIBILITY SO PLEASE DONT JUDGE UNLESS YOU HAVE GONE WHERE WEVE BEEN ! ITS NOT FOR LACK OF LOVE BUT FOR CONCERN FOR SAFTEY !WHAT IF HE DECIDES TO KILL THEM OR THE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR BECAUSE HE WAS ANGRY --------HE AS WELL AS ANY CHILD THAT IS AT THIS TYPE OF STATUS WHETHER ADOPTED OR NOT IF THEY PRESENT A RISK SUCH AS WHAT THEY AS WELL AS I AND SO MANY OTHER ARE GOING THRU THEY NEED SUPERVISED HOUSING ROUND THE CLOCK THERAPY ETC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BELIEVE ME IT REALLY HURTS WHEN YOUR TORN WITH THIS TYPE OF DECISION!!!!!

NEWMOON

Apr 10, 2010 8:15 AM CDT

LISTEN I TOTAL AGREE WITH THIS FAMILY FOR WANTING TO GIVE HIM BACK THE STATE! YES IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY BUT ALSO THE STATES STILL EVEN IN ADOPTION FOR THESE CHILDREN! I AM GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT IF I WAS TO GIVE HIM A SPANKING OR KNOCK HE'S HEAD OFF FOR DOING SOME OF THE THINGS HES DONE THEY WOULD BE AT MY DOOR BUT HARD TO GET HELP FROM THEM AFTER YOU ADOPT THEM YOU GET THE RUN AROUND RESPONSIBILITY SO PLEASE DONT JUDGE UNLESS YOU HAVE GONE WHERE WEVE BEEN ! ITS NOT FOR LACK OF LOVE BUT FOR CONCERN FOR SAFTEY !WHAT IF HE DECIDES TO KILL THEM OR THE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR BECAUSE HE WAS ANGRY --------HE AS WELL AS ANY CHILD THAT IS AT THIS TYPE OF STATUS WHETHER ADOPTED OR NOT IF THEY PRESENT A RISK SUCH AS WHAT THEY AS WELL AS I AND SO MANY OTHER ARE GOING THRU THEY NEED SUPERVISED HOUSING ROUND THE CLOCK THERAPY ETC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BELIEVE ME IT REALLY HURTS WHEN YOUR TORN WITH THIS TYPE OF DECISION!!!!!

alt5610

Jan 9, 2010 2:06 AM CST

to concerned nurse i may be mistaken but i believe HIPPA refers to individualized information. discussing generalized information is allowed such as in case studies. besides most of the information stated was probably in the news paper making it public information with no expectation of privacy